House passes Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

The following statement is from Steve Rupp, President of Missouri Right to Life:

On Tuesday, April 3rd, the Missouri House passed HB 1266, the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act by a vote of 117 to 31.

This important bill will provide protection from abortion for unborn children who are capable of feeling pain, beginning at 20 weeks fetal age.

According to the Missouri Department of Health, in 2016 in the state of Missouri over 100 unborn babies were aborted after 20 weeks gestation. We must also keep in mind that these statistics are submitted by the abortionist and staff of the abortion facility.

Late term abortions are performed using different techniques, including a method in which the unborn child's arms and legs are twisted off by brute, manual force using a long stainless steel clamping tool. As Justice Kennedy stated in his dissent in Stenberg v. Carhart, "The fetus, in many cases, dies just as a human adult or (born) child would: It bleeds to death as it is torn limb from limb."

By 20 weeks after fertilization, all the physical structures necessary to experience pain have developed. Unborn children at 20 weeks fetal age react to painful stimuli and hormonal reactions consistent with pain can be measured. There are multiple sources for this pain sensory information. One source is www.doctorsonfetalpain.com.

In a nationwide poll, done by Quinnipiac University, 60% of responders supported the federal bill (described as "legislation that would ban virtually all abortions nationwide after 20 weeks of pregnancy, except in cases of rape and incest that are reported to authorities." In pro-life Missouri, it is reasonable to assume that the support for this bill is even higher.

We thank the sponsor, Representative Donna Lichtenegger for bringing this bill forward, the House leadership and all those who voted for HB 1266. We look forward to the Senate passage and the Governor's support and signature on this critical legislation.

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